#joe guy

[princessofcool]

love letter from billie holiday to joe guy

[jasenlex]

ISOLATED COMIC BOOK PANEL #2496 title: THE ROOK MAGAZINE #9 - P20:3 artist: ABEL LAXAMANA year: 1981

[jasenlex]

ISOLATED COMIC BOOK PANEL #2175 title: THE ROOK MAGAZINE #9 - P20:1 artist: ABEL LAXAMANA year: 1981

[onejazztrackaday]

Body and Soul – Coleman Hawkins

Coleman Hawkins recording of Body and Soul is one of the most famous versions of this jazz standard, even though it doesn’t actually contain the melody. If you’re not familiar with the song itself, you may want to listen to the Sarah Vaughn version or the Tony Bennett duet with Amy Winehouse (her last recording before she died just 4 months later in July 2011).

The song was written in 1930 by Johnny Green with lyrics by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton for British actress and singer Gertrude Lawrence. It is one of the most recorded jazz standards.

So why choose the Coleman Hawkins’ version of this song when the melody is only hinted at?

Hawkins, or “Hawk” was one of the first prominent tenor sax jazz musicians. While there were some tenor players before him, the tenor sax wasn't really acknowledged as a jazz instrument until Hawk. He was the leader on what is generally considered to have been the first ever bebop recording session, in 1944.

This recording from 1939 is recognised by many as an early precursor to the new movement. Hawkins plays two-choruses of improvisation over the chord progression which takes up almost the entire recording. It’s considered a challenging piece to solo over, and Hawkins uses some imaginative harmonies.

But this landmark performance was only recorded by chance. Hawkins and his group were in the studio to record three other songs. At the end of the session, the recording supervisor called Hawkins over and asked him to lay down an extra tune as a favour.

Leonard Joy (the recording supervisor) called me over and said, ‘Do us a favour. One of the guys called up from Trenton. He said he heard you do ‘Body and Soul’ at the club and would like to hear it on a record.’ I said ‘I have another song I’d rather do,’ but he said ‘You could do that one some other time. Let’s just make one take of ‘Body and Soul.'”

Hawkins grabbed a bottle of cognac, took a healthy sip, and told pianist Gene Rodgers “make an introduction on Body and Soul.” Gene’s introduction, and the Hawkins two thirty-two bar choruses just came out, without planning or premeditation. So commanding is his solo, that the few supporting chords added by the horns throughout Hawkins’s solo are almost irrelevant.

This spontaneous afterthought of a recording became far more influential than Hawkins could possibly have given it credit for at the time.

The seven piece band on Body and Soul is 

Coleman Hawkins, tenor saxophone;

Tommy Lindsey and Joe Guy, trumpets; 

Earl Hardy, trombone; 

Gene Rodgers, piano; 

William Oscar Smith, bass; 

Arthur Herbert, drums.

– Bozzie 🎷

[nec-dextrorsum-nec-sinistrorsum]

[theblackestofsuns]

“This Looks Like A Job For...”

The Rook #10 (August 1981)

Jim Stenstrum and Abel Laxamana

Warren Publishing

[theblackestofsuns]

“Composed Of Pure Anti-Energy”

The Rook #10 (August 1981)

Jim Stenstrum and Abel Laxamana

Warren Publishing

[theblackestofsuns]

“Danger Blast Furnace”

The Rook #10 (August 1981)

Jim Stenstrum and Abel Laxamana

Warren Publishing